Afghan mission has lost momentum, British ambassador says

The mission in Afghanistan has "lost momentum" with the Taliban undermining security over the last year, the British ambassador to the country has admitted.

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent

7:00AM GMT 21 Jan 2010

Speaking ahead of the London Conference on Afghanistan next week Mark Sedwill said the meeting of foreign secretaries needed to "inject some international momentum" to secure the country.

But he argued that the conference could be a "turning point" with the Afghan government for the first time setting the agenda "taking more responsibility for its own destiny".

"We all know that with the election last year coming on top of difficult year in security that we suffered a loss of momentum in the Afghan project," he told journalists in London.

The conference next Wednesday will focus on security in Afghanistan, with increases in local force numbers to be announced and will address corruption and international issues.

It will be jointly hosted by David Miliband the foreign secretary, his Afghan opposite number, and will include a host of foreign dignitaries including Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State.

The conference will work on a reconciliation program to persuade Taliban fighters to lay down their weapons.

But Mr Sedwill warned that there would be further terrorist attacks like the one in Kabul earlier this week when 20 Taliban penetrated the government district.

He said: "Obviously there is a risk that these groups will try a spectacular around the time of the conference. That would make sense from their perspective and we should not be taken by surprise if something like that happens."

He added that in the last few days a rocket "went over my residence and landed nearby" but added it was a "level of violence that we are going to be tolerating for some time."

The ambassador also warned other countries neighbouring Afghanistan to stop using it as a territory to play "the Great Game".

In a reference probably directed at Pakistan, India, and Iran he said: "Afghanistan for too long has been the ground on which regional powers have exercised and fought out tensions. That has to stop. The Great Game is over and Afghanistan ha to become a land of stability."

He agreed that Helmand, where the majority of British troops are based, was the "main effort" for both the Taliban and Nato forces.

The conference will probably set out a tentative timetable for handing over security to local forces.

Mr Sedwill said the handovers will not mean foreign troops will be gone, but said they are part of an overall strategy for their eventual withdrawal.